Baker Mayfield alluded to Super Bowl hopes for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without saying it when revealed his plans for the offensive line after the season.
He hopes for a boat outing in February — something fresh in the memories of Buccaneers fans from the Tom Brady era. The GOAT launched the Lombardi Trophy from a boat after a Super Bowl win in 2021.
“The [Christmas] gifts were a little late, so I’m not going to announce it yet, but I have told them we have an end-of-the-year boat day whenever we’re done playing, ” Mayfield told reporters on Wednesday. “Hopefully that’s February. We’ve got a boat day with a chef on it and a few other things that are coming in for them.”
Never forget when Tom Brady threw the Lombardi Trophy to Gronk’s boat during the Bucs’ parade 😂
(via _misstwelve/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/QMkGD3UjL0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 21, 2022
Whether or not that boat party could include more than a winning season to celebrate remains to be seen. The Buccaneers (8-7) face a tall order to get out of the NFC this season.
Both the San Francisco 49ers (11-4) and Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) have loaded rosters and playoff experience. The Detroit Lions (11-4) have a strong team, and the Dallas Cowboys (10-5) look poised for a run.
First, the Buccaneers need to extend a four-game winning streak and sweep the New Orleans Saints (7-8) on New Year’s Eve. Otherwise, the Buccaneers will need to beat the Carolina Panthers (2-13) in Week 18 plus a Saints loss or tie breaker.
Baker Mayfield: ‘It Gets Chippy’
Mayfield knows what to expect with one Buccaneers-Saints rivalry game under his belt already. He led Tampa Bay to a 26-9 in the Caesars Superdome in October when he threw for 246 yards and three touchdown passes.
“They’re a physical team — it gets chippy,” Mayfield said. “It’s just one of those good rivalries that goes back and forth, so you see the intensity.”
Gene Deckerhoff calls Baker Mayfield’s touchdown pass to Deven Thompkins to put the dagger in the Saints pic.twitter.com/cyvYShFIed
— Bucs Rays Bolts (@BucsRaysBoltsYT) October 1, 2023
“You feel it on the field — the physical ballgame that it really is,” he added. “Obviously, it comes down to this late December game and there’s a lot on the line, so I’m expecting it to be a physical game.”
Mayfield took one sack in the first meeting, and it took a 12-point fourth quarter with Saints mistakes to seal the win. New Orleans has been tough of late two wins in the past three games, and the team hasn’t lost by more than a score in a month.
Saints Pass Rush Still a Threat
The Saints defense held opponents to six points each in back-to-back wins during December but gave up 30-plus points in its last two losses. Despite the ups and downs, the Saints still have the seventh-best pass rush in the game with 194.7 yards allowed per game.
“Just their recognition of schemes, understanding that they’ve seen a lot of reps of football,” Mayfield said. “They’ve seen pretty much everything you can. They do it well.”
“Obviously, Demario [Davis] is an unbelievable player and I think Pete Werner has come along and it’s been a great side-by-side duo with those linebackers there,” Mayfield added. “You’ve got to know where they’re at all times. You’ve got to understand that they’re going to understand these patterns.”
“They’re going to know how to pass things off. They’re going to fill the runs and hit the holes pretty quickly, ” Mayfield continued. “It’s just knowing you’ve got to do those little details right when you’re playing a team like this.”
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